As India’s computing landscape evolves with the growing adoption of AI, digital learning, and cloud-based workflows, the demand for accessible and intelligent devices is rising rapidly. In this exclusive interaction with Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal, Chitranshu Mahant, CEO & Co-Founder, Primebook, discusses the company’s vision for affordable computing, AI-powered innovation, and building India’s homegrown laptop ecosystem.
Rajeev: Could you share the Primebook's journey and how you are making computing more accessible for millions of first-time users?
Chitranshu: Primebook was founded in 2018 with a clear mission to bridge India's digital divide by making high-performance computing accessible to millions of students and first-time laptop users. We identified a significant gap in the market, particularly in the sub-₹30,000 segment, where traditional Windows laptops often struggle to deliver a smooth user experience due to higher hardware requirements. Instead of competing on price alone, our focus has always been on delivering value for money through an optimized hardware-software ecosystem.
Our target audience has primarily been the 15–25-year-old demographic, a generation that is digital-first but often underserved when it comes to cost effective computing. We built Primebook on ARM architecture, allowing us to offer better battery life, faster performance, and a seamless user experience tailored for modern workloads. Today, our devices support native Android applications, Linux applications, and web apps, giving users flexibility without compromising performance.
As AI adoption accelerates, we believe laptop penetration in India which currently stands at only around 4% has tremendous room for growth. Smartphones are excellent for content consumption, but productivity, content creation, coding, AI-assisted workflows, and learning require a larger, more capable computing device. Primebook is helping first-time users make that transition by delivering a purpose-built computing platform that meets their evolving needs.
Rajeev: Primebook has developed an integrated ecosystem with PrimeOS, PrimeX Cloud PC, and the upcoming PrimeAGNT AI platform. How are these innovations transforming the overall user experience?
Chitranshu: Primebook's vision extends far beyond building laptops; we are creating a complete computing ecosystem. At the heart of this ecosystem is PrimeOS, our proprietary operating system that has been purpose-built to deliver an optimized experience for ARM-based hardware. PrimeOS enables users to seamlessly run Android applications, Linux software, and web applications on a single platform, creating a versatile and efficient computing environment.
To further enhance productivity, we introduced PrimeX Cloud PC, a subscription-based service that enables users to access Windows applications through a virtual machine. This removes traditional software compatibility barriers while allowing users to experience the flexibility of cloud computing. For developers, designers, and other power users, we also offer an on-demand GPU workstation service, enabling access to high-performance virtual machines on a pay-as-you-go basis, making advanced computing resources accessible without expensive hardware investments.
The next major evolution is PrimeAGNT, our AI platform that is being integrated directly into the operating system rather than functioning as a standalone application. Inspired by modular AI concepts, PrimeAGNT will allow users to customize AI skills based on different domains such as finance, sales, education, and productivity. By embedding AI at the OS level, we are creating a more intuitive and context-aware computing experience where AI becomes a natural part of everyday workflows rather than an external tool. The beta version is already underway, with a commercial rollout planned shortly.
Rajeev: How is AI reshaping personal computing, and what will the next generation of intelligent, productivity-focused devices look like?
Chitranshu: AI is fundamentally changing how people interact with computers. Today, nearly half of India's weekly AI users belong to the 15–24-year age group, highlighting how quickly AI is becoming an everyday productivity tool for students and young professionals. While smartphones introduced many users to AI, increasingly complex workflows such as content creation, coding, research, design, and multitasking require the capabilities of a laptop. We believe AI will accelerate laptop adoption across India.
The next generation of computing devices will not simply run AI applications; they will have AI deeply embedded into the operating system. This is exactly the direction Primebook is taking with PrimeAGNT, enabling AI to understand user context, automate repetitive tasks, and provide domain-specific assistance across education, business, finance, and professional workflows. Instead of switching between multiple AI applications, users will have an intelligent assistant integrated into the computing experience itself.
Looking ahead, intelligent computing also requires stronger security and privacy. Starting with Generation 4 devices, we are planning to build security capabilities directly from the chipset level, with a strong focus on data residency, encryption, and TPM 2.0 compliance. As AI becomes more personal and handles increasingly sensitive information, building trust through secure infrastructure will be just as important as delivering intelligent features.
Rajeev: Could you share your product innovation strategy and how you are addressing the evolving needs of students, professionals, and emerging digital users?
Chitranshu: Our product innovation strategy is driven by understanding different user segments while maintaining a consistent value-for-money proposition. The current Primebook 2 lineup includes the Primebook 2 Neo, Primebook 2 Pro, and Primebook 2 Max, offering multiple screen sizes and configurations to cater to students, professionals, and first-time laptop buyers without compromising on performance.
Beyond hardware specifications, our differentiation lies in software innovation. PrimeOS supports Android, Linux, and web applications natively, while PrimeX Cloud PC enables access to Windows applications whenever users need them. We also provide GPU workstation services for developers and designers, extending the capabilities of our devices beyond traditional consumer use cases. For enterprise and institutional customers, our integrated Device Management System enables centralized device administration, security enforcement, and policy management, making Primebook suitable for education, CSR deployments, SMBs, and government institutions.
Innovation is continuous at Primebook. During the upcoming Diwali season, we will launch Generation 3 devices that deliver approximately 1.5 times higher performance while maintaining the sub-₹30,000 price segment and increasing RAM to 8GB. Our long-term strategy is to continuously improve hardware while strengthening the software ecosystem, ensuring users receive an increasingly capable computing experience with every generation.
Rajeev: What is Primebook’s growth roadmap, market expansion strategy, and vision for driving India’s AI-powered computing revolution?
Chitranshu: Primebook's growth strategy is centered on expanding both our market reach and our technology ecosystem. Having sold over one lakh devices in the past three years, our goal is to double that figure to two lakh units in the coming financial year. To support this growth, we are currently raising funds to scale operations while continuing to strengthen our position among India's top players in the sub-₹30,000 laptop category, where we are already ranked among the top five brands.
Our expansion strategy spans multiple channels. Alongside Amazon, Flipkart, our own website, and over 200 offline retail touchpoints concentrated in South India, we are significantly expanding our presence across B2B, education, CSR initiatives, SMBs, enterprises, and government projects. Internationally, we have already begun exporting to countries such as Zimbabwe and Nepal, while actively growing our footprint across the Middle East and Africa through local distribution partners.
Looking ahead, our vision is to build India's most comprehensive AI-powered computing ecosystem. This includes next-generation hardware, PrimeOS, PrimeX Cloud PC, PrimeAGNT, stronger security from the chipset level, and continuous investment in research and development, where nearly 30% of our workforce is already focused. We believe India's AI revolution will require purpose-built computing platforms rather than simply adapting legacy systems, and Primebook aims to lead that transformation by making intelligent, secure, and productive computing accessible to every aspiring learner and professional.
Rajeev: How important is customer experience in your overall business strategy?
Chitranshu: Customer experience is one of the strongest pillars of our business. Today, Primebook maintains an average rating of 4.4 across major e-commerce platforms, reflecting the trust and satisfaction of our users. We believe that delivering a great product is only half the journey the post-purchase experience is equally important.
To ensure seamless customer support, we offer a 30-day home pick-up and drop-off service across India, making after-sales service convenient and hassle-free. We also invest in regular training programs for our third-party service partners to ensure consistent service quality across locations. Our objective is to build long-term customer relationships by providing reliable products backed by dependable support.
Rajeev: As Primebook continues to scale, how are you strengthening your internal capabilities and preparing for future retail expansion?
Chitranshu: Our growth strategy is focused on building a strong foundation across people, innovation, and customer accessibility. Today, our Delhi headquarters is home to around 80 professionals across branding, finance, B2B, customer service, and R&D, with nearly 30% of our workforce dedicated to research and engineering. This strong investment in R&D enables us to continuously enhance our hardware, software, and AI ecosystem while staying ahead of evolving user needs. We also have dedicated sales teams in Bengaluru and Mumbai to support our expanding market presence.
On the retail front, while we currently sell through online platforms and offline retail partners, we are also evaluating opportunities to establish exclusive Primebook brand stores in the future. Dedicated retail spaces would allow customers to experience our products and ecosystem firsthand while strengthening brand visibility. As we continue to scale, our focus remains on expanding customer reach without compromising on innovation, product quality, or user experience.
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